By: Christian Turner
The Zips baseball team traveled to a four-team tournament at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., over the weekend, coming home with one win and two losses.
On Friday, the team faced off against the Iowa Hawkeyes for the first time in program history.
“We did not have a good performance in any phase of the game today,” Zips Head Coach Rick Rembielak told GoZips.com Friday. “We will continue to learn to play better.”
The Hawkeyes, who entered the tournament with a 1-5 record, scored 10 runs in the first three innings, giving them a hefty head start to their 17-3 win.
Andre Brown, starting pitcher for the Zips, gave up eight earned runs to Iowa in the first three innings.
The team scored their first two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman Sam Watkins singled to right center, advancing infielder Tyler Begun, who walked on a 3-2 count, to second base. Samuel Tresco grounded out to first base with an RBI, advancing Watkins to third.
Outfielder Kurt Gamby doubled to left center, scoring the Zips’ second run with Watkins crossing the plate.
Akron scored their last run of the game in the bottom of the third with a home run from Begun.
Left-handed pitcher Scott Foster gave a solid performance in the middle four innings of the game. The Hawkeyes struck out four times and got only two runners on base.
After Foster left the mound, the Hawkeyes went on to score seven more runs to close out the game.
On Staurday, the Zips faced fellow Northeast Ohio team the Youngstown State Penguins.
Youngstown pulled out front early with a 3-0 lead going into the second inning. The Zips put one on the board in the second inning with Gamby crossing the plate.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Youngstown led 6-2. Akron rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring five runs. Outfielder Joey Havrilak started the inning off with a triple to center field. Brandon Winter doubled down the left field line with two RBI’s, getting Stewart and Havrilak to home plate. Outfielder Devan Ahart singled to the right side to advance Winter across the plate. Begun captured two RBI’s with a single to center field, making the score 7-5.
This win against the Penguins is Rembielak’s first victory as head coach.
On Sunday, the Zips fell short against the Tournament’s host Austin Peay with a score of 14-4.
The Governors ran away with the game with a six-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Zips had nine hits for the game, led by Ahart and Trecaso.
The team heads to Port Charlotte, Fla., on Friday where they will play a series of eight games starting with Xavier.
The Zips are 1-8.